"There are only two just and fair outcomes of this trial - acquittal or capital punishment. I consider 21 years of prison as a pathetic punishment," Breivik said. 

When the prosecution asked Breivik if he wanted the court to give him the death penalty, he said, "No, but I would have respected it. I would not recognize 21 years of prison, it's ridiculous."

A lay judge was dismissed, Tuesday, following his remarks capital punishment was the only suitable one for Breivik.

Knights Templar

Prosecutors began today’s cross-examination by questioning Breivik on his links with ultra nationalist groups in Europe, their purpose being to refute his claim of the existence of a far-right European network called ‘’Knights Templar’’.

In an excerpt of Breivik's 1,500-page manifesto, which the prosecution shared with the court, he had claimed to have gone through a screening and background check for the Knights Templar to ensure that he was of "the desired caliber". 

During the cross-examination, Breivik told the court that he had an "English mentor", whose code name was "Richard the Lionheart". He alleged his so-called mentor hosted the "inaugural meeting" of the "Knights Templar" in London on April 30 or May 1, 2002. 

He added that its members had formulated a "detailed long term plan on how to seize power in Western Europe" during the meeting, and that he was tasked with producing the group's manifesto. He said the group was "not an organisation in a conventional sense" but consisted of "independent cells".

Breivik refused to give any further details about this alleged meeting. However, he did concede that he had exaggerated somewhat in his manifesto when he called the other three members at the founding session as "brilliant political and military tacticians of Europe". 

Admiration for Al-Qaeda

On being challenged by the prosecution on whether the meeting had actually taken place, he said, "Yes, there was a meeting in London." When the prosecution asked, ‘’It's not something you have made up?" he replied, "I haven't made up anything. What is in the compendium is correct." 

Breivik also told the court that he admired Bin Laden for its "brutal methods" and added that the "big problem" for militant nationalists in Europe was that they had had very few role models since World War II. Breivik said that he wanted to create an "al-Qaeda for Christian Nationalists in Europe". 

Religion

One of the lawyers representing the victims asked Breivik about his religious beliefs. 

"Well, I am a militant Christian; to prevent the de-Christianisation of Europe is very important", he replied, also saying, "but this does not mean we want to introduce a Christian theocracy. We are not Christian fundamentalists. I believe in God and I believe in a life after death.” 

Breivik reiterated yesterday’s statement that he carried out the attacks to defend "ethnic Norwegians" from rising multiculturalism. 

"I was very surprised that I survived that day," he told the court. "I had no other plans for what to do. I considered the chance less than 5% that I would survive the bombing. But not only that, I survived Utøya."

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